This is a major new study on the book of Deuteronomy by an acclaimed expert in the field.

Paying particular attention to the legal passages in Deuteronomy, Professor Rof seeks to clarify the contents and unity of each section, its literary history, the origin of the single laws and their relation to other kindred laws in other documents of the Pentateuch.

Bringing together different methods of biblical study--traditional Jewish interpretation, classical biblical criticism, form criticism, history of tradition and textual criticism--the author argues that the roots of Deuteronomy lie in monarchial Israel and Judah, that the literary climax belongs to the seventh century B.C.E, and that the final stages of the text are exilic and early post-exilic.